This study recently published in JACC paves the way to identifying higher risk patients among those with no epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) that present angina symptoms. Evidence of coronary spasm and increased microcirculation resistance in patients with angina (but with no epicardial obstructive CAD) is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiac events. AT…
AHA 2019 | TWILIGHT: Discontinue Aspirin after Acute Coronary Syndrome
This study findings confirm less bleeding at no extra cost of thrombotic events when aspirin is discontinued after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the same line as the original TWILIGHT, this study focused on ACS patients alone (excluding STEMI) and confirmed that aspirin discontinuation after 3-month DAPT to continue with ticagrelor alone, reduced the…
AHA 2019 | ISCHEMIA: The Invasive Approach (PCI or Surgery) Results Similar to Optimal Medical Treatment
After a several year follow up, the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) has shown that an invasive approach in addition to optimal medical treatment (OMT) does not offer benefits when it comes to preventing major cardiovascular events compared against optimal medical treatment alone in stable patients with moderate…
Current Mechanical Complications of Infarction
Contemporary data of a recently published large registry show that mechanical complications after infarction are not frequent but maintain a very high mortality rate that does not seem to improve over time. Our information on mechanical complications was outdated and we did not have current data on their incidence and prognosis. Such is precisely the…
The Road Towards a “More Perfect” Angioplasty Is Already Being Traveled
The aim of revascularization, whether through angioplasty or surgery, is to restore adequate flow to the myocardium; that much is obvious. However, after millions of “successful” procedures with the best technology applied to drug-eluting stents and optimal medical treatment, we still have a high ratio of patients who experience new events. Could an optimal angiographical…
Should Post-PCI Biomarkers Elevation Be of Concern?
Elevated markers after PCI in stable patients treated with the latest generation stents continues to happen. However, only the association between biomarker elevation with creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) should be of concern, sin it was associated with mortality at one year. Post procedural cardiac troponin (cTn) elevation was not associated to future events, according to…
Hours of Sleep and Myocardial Infarction Risk
This is one of the first studies to prospectively assess this association, and its outcomes support the idea that poor sleep is a potential MI risk factor. Even though we need further data to be able to modify the current sleep duration standards as part of life-style change recommendations, it seems reasonable to start bearing…
iFR or FFR Measurements by Sex: Is Either One More Adequate?
According to the post hoc analysis of the DEFINE-FLAIR, patient sex seems to affect instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) guided revascularization outcomes. Even though this is not specified in the study protocols, it might affect the gold standard for functional lesion assessment. However, clinical outcomes are similar with both strategies. Therefore,…
Subintimal vs. Intraplaque Coronary Rechanneling. Do Results Vary?
Coronary rechanneling is difficult by nature, and there are several techniques for it aimed at improving technical success. Some of these strategies entail the subintimal crossing of the occluded segment, while others entail intraplaque crossing, without leaving the true lumen. However, there is scarce or no information on the results of both strategies. Researchers analyzed…
Discordance Between FFR and iFR. Which Measurement Is More Important?
In the next days, Dr. Seung Hun and colleagues will publish in J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2019 a study that answers the title question and also brings peace of mind about the decisions we make based on one of these measurements or the other. This study assessed the physiologic characteristics of discordant lesions between…
The Most Read Scientific Articles in September at Solaci.org
1- ESC 2019 | New European Guidelines on “Chronic Coronary Syndromes” In Paris, during the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2019 Scientific Sessions, new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic coronary syndromes were presented. This document, simultaneously published in Euro Heart J, updates the 2013 guidelines on stable ischemic heart disease and…